California Baptist University
6-11,2-3WAC
UT Arlington
9-8,1-4WAC
CBU Holds Off UT Arlington in Five-Set Home Thriller
10/11/2025 4:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University volleyball team got itself back in the win column on Saturday afternoon with a five-set thriller over UT Arlington.
The Lancers overcame the injury bug again with four main rotation players being out, including starting middle blocker Jordyn Waite-Ward and libero Simge Yuksel. The win moves CBU to 2-3 in the Western Athletic Conference column while the UT Arlington Mavericks fall to 1-4.
CBU got off to a hot start, building an 18-11 lead over the Mavericks, forcing them to burn both timeouts. Out of the second timeout, the Mavericks mounted a furious comeback by scoring eight unanswered points to tie the match. As momentum flipped, UTA would continue the offensive onslaught with five of the next six points to bring the score to 23-20 in favor of the visitors. CBU would force extra points off a solid Mia Rossman service run; however, the Mavericks would score the two final points of the set to take the 1-0 lead.
CBU shook off the bad ending of the first set and would take complete control of the second set right out of the gates. Senior setter Reese Reed set the tone with a 5-0 service run that included an ace to force UT Arlington to use a quick timeout. The Mavericks would fall behind by as many as ten points in the frame and eventually dropped the set 25-18 to tie the match at one apiece.
The third set began much like the first two sets, with the Lancers getting out to a hot start. CBU led by as many as six points before the Mavericks would execute a pair of 4-0 runs to bring themselves back in the set. The Lancers would not fold and would get crucial kills from Olivia Melton, Eliana Posada, and Emery Dejong to force extra points. Posada and Lucy Ryan would end the set in a dramatic fashion with a powerful block to win the frame 26-24 and take a 2-1 lead. The Mavericks would dominate the fourth set 25-18 to set up a winner-take-all fifth set scenario at Van Dyne Gym.
In the fifth set, CBU and UTA would go back and forth at the outset, but a 4-0 Lancer run would tilt the momentum in the home team's favor. The Mavericks would creep within two points at 10-8 before a 3-0 Lancer counter would permanently flip the set into CBU's corner. Two Maverick errors would seal the victory for Trevor Johnson's squad in the fifth set by a final score of 15-9.
CBU got an all-around effort from its hitters with four Lancers ending up in double-figures. Posada and DeJong led the way with 12 kills, while Eleftheria Baxa contributed 11, and Melton had ten. The setter duo of Maddie Brown and Reed was solid with a combined 38 assists. Reed had her first double-double of the season with 15 assists and ten digs, both of which were the second-best marks on the team. Ryan was solid on the blocks in the absence of Waite-Ward, registering seven blocks, two of which were solos.
NEXT: The Lancers will remain home for a Thursday date with Utah Valley on October 16.
